Mama kitty's nipples are red and puffy, and they are very warm and look so sore -- for the most part, she is refusing to nurse her kittens. Is there anything I can do for her? I tried putting an ice pack on her, but she wouldn't sit long enough for it to make a difference. Anyone have any advice? I just don't want her to be in pain.

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Katie &

"Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow" -- Mark Twain

The kittens are almost 7 weeks old, and I've been feeding them wet food three or four times a day and keeping dry food out all the time, which I notice they are eating (just not sure if all of them are taking to dry food). Unfortunately, I have no idea how to wean them correctly. Mom has been spending more and more time away from the kittens (the kittens are in a separate room and Mom cries when she wants in and out), which I thought was natural until she started to look really red and sore. When I would spend time with her in the room with the kittens, they would try to nurse, and she would reject them. However, I did put them in together this morning, and most of her nipples don't look as full, so I'm assuming she fed them.

This is another thing I need to talk to the vet about -- I've read online how when it's time for her to finish nursing the kittens, she is supposed to fast for a full day, then gradually add her food back in until she absorbs all the milk. I've also read they needed to be separated for a week??? I have no idea if this is correct, and she will be a mad woman if she doesn't eat for a day!

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Katie &

"Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow" -- Mark Twain

I don't think you need to fast her, once the kittens leave her alone her milk will naturally dry up, though I think she will need some antibiotics to clear up her mastitis. The drug will pass through her milk though, so the kittens really need to come off her now, and mum is doing the right thing in rejecting them when they try to nurse. When are they going to new homes? You could always get mum speyed now, of course. I got Isis (my foster cat) speyed when her kittens were 7 weeks old as she was pretty much in season through her whole lactation period and was driving herself and me up the wall. She continued to kinda let them suckle for a few days afterwards, but without the hormone, no new milk will be produced. Of course, you will have to ask your vet about neutering whilst she has mastitis, it might not be a good idea if she has a high temperature.

Thanks for the advice -- I've been wanting to get her spayed as soon as I can in hopes that it will better her chances of being adopted. I am still looking for homes for all the kittens (two down, three to go!), but I would like to have them at least claimed by their new owners by the last week in January.

I've just been worried that either she was spending too much time/not enough time with her kittens, which I thought may have been what was making her red and sore. Do you know what the nipples will be like before the milk dries up? Will they be full and warm like they were yesterday? The reason I ask is I don't think she nursed for several hours -- maybe a day -- when I started to notice the swelling and redness.

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Katie &

"Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow" -- Mark Twain

Ok, this was noticeably uncomfortable for her -- to the point of lethargy -- so I think taking her to the vet is the best for her. Not to have medical student syndrome, but after looking up mastitis, it described her symptoms almost exactly.

Thanks everyone!

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Katie &

"Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow" -- Mark Twain